The Dead and the Gone
by bristlefur
Summary: When Snowpaw is killed in battle, she arrives in a strange place halfway between life and death... can she make it back home?
1. Chapter 1

**Hiiiiiii! I thought of this one… thinking… so I hope it'll be good! And… so… I really don't have anything else to say. **

**Jayfeather: Me neither. **

**Tigerstar: Hhhhhhiiiiiii everyone!**

**Me: Please enjoy this story! *cough lame start cough* **

Snowpaw crunched desperately through the snow, wheeling around to face the battle. ShadowClan had crossed their border again, demanding hunting rights in their territory. All around her, RiverClan cats swarmed up the ridge, combining in a deadly battle at the base of the river. A snarl behind her alerted her of a large enemy cat crouching, ready to strike. Bravely she turned around to face him.

The cat took a swipe at her, barely missing her head. Snarling, she lunged at him, catching him off guard. They scuffled in the dirt until, snarling, her opponent backed off. The ShadowClan cat fled through the heather. She growled and whirled around to face the battle. The RiverClan cats were being driven back. ShadowClan gathered for a final assault, and she glanced desperately around as if her surroundings could save them.

A flash of gray alerted her that another cat was following her. She heard a snarl and felt a large weight pin her down. Struggling futilely, she lashed out with her paw and felt her claws sink into flesh. Snarling, the gray cat released her and backed away. She jumped on him, and the two cats rolled around in the undergrowth, scouring deep gouges in the snow. She broke away and faced the gray cat. Now she recognized him; Graypaw. She had seen him many times at Gatherings. She lashed out and felt her claws rake through fur.

Graypaw leaped, bowling her over. They tussled through the snow, tearing through the undergrowth. She growled at him and raked his belly with her back claws. Howling, the apprentice backed away, shooting her a murderous glare as he fled. Desperately she glanced around. They couldn't hold out much longer. A snarl in the undergrowth alerted her of another opponent. Despairingly she turned around. How much longer could she keep this up?

The enemy cat leaped out at her, and she turned around and ran. She leaped through the battle and approached a large gorge where the river gave way. Skidding to a halt, she glanced around. Her pursuer had vanished. But before she could gather her thoughts, she heard a yowl and felt claws pin her down. Snarling, she struggled to get up, and heard her attacker laugh. She felt a rush of rage. Who could take pleasure in the pain of others? She glanced upwards and was shocked. It was Graypaw, the apprentice she had fought earlier.

She felt claws slash through her shoulder, and a burst of agony flooded her senses. Weakly she struggled to get up. To her surprise, she weight that had pinned her down lifted and she struggled to her feet. Graypaw was fleeing. With a yowl of victory she gave chase. Another set of paws followed her, but she was too absorbed to care much.

All of a sudden, the ground disappeared beneath her. Yowling in surprise she struggled to stay up, and she dug her claws into the side of the gorge. She swung backwards and hit the side of the gorge. With a burst of will she started clawing her way to the top.

Dirt burst beneath her claws and she felt herself sliding down. She started to yowl for help, but no one came.

All of a sudden, she felt teeth meet in her scruff and start to haul her up. She carefully placed her claws and started to ascend. Hope flared inside of her. She was going to live!

A sudden collision of bodies overhead made her gasp, and the cat that was hauling her up scrambled for a grip and slipped over the edge. They both went over, but not before Snowpaw caught a glimpse of cold eyes that belonged to no Clan.

She slammed into the ground alongside her almost-rescuer. With a jolt she recognized the cat who had tried to save her; Graypaw!

With that discovery, she slid into blackness and didn't come back out.

**Oh no! I killed my main on the first chapter! What will happen next? Find out in… the next chapter! Mwahaha! **

**P.S.: WINTER BREAK! WOO HOO! Bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Merry Christmas everyone! This is my Christmas present to you *hands over chicken* oh and the chapter is, too. **

**Tigerstar: Ho Ho Ho! **

**Me: Shut it Tigerstar and let me get on with my life! **

**Tigerstar: I am so abused. **

**Again, Merry Christmas! **

Snowpaw felt the stirrings of the wind on her fur as her eyes blinked open. "No, Honeypaw, it's too early," she murmured. "We can go hunting later. Our mentors can-." All of a sudden, she bolted upright. "_Wait!"_ she gasped. The memories of the past night flooded her mind, and soon she was prowling the area, looking for the wall of the gorge. "I must have survived," she murmured to herself. "That's it. I survived the fall and got knocked out for a while." _That's all._ _That must be all. _Glancing around desperately, she identified something familiar. _The river! _Eagerly she headed towards it.

A heavy weight knocked her to the ground. Squeaking in surprise, she glanced upwards and identified the face of Graypaw, streaked in murderous rage. She struggled underneath him, and braced herself as she saw long, sharp claws heading towards her.

They connected with her and she screeched. She stopped abruptly when she realized something. _They don't hurt!_ With a massive effort she shoved Graypaw off of her. Yowling, she hurled herself onto him, and they rolled over and over in the snow. She gripped his throat while he scored his claws again and again through her fur, and she was all too painfully aware that none of her efforts were hurting him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a cat headed towards them. In her befuddled mind she thought that it was another ShadowClan warrior coming to finish her off. _Or maybe it's that rogue that pushed us over!_ Despairingly she shut her eyes. _StarClan make it quick!_

She felt nothing. Opening her eyes, she saw Graypaw had scrambled off of her and was staring in wide eyed amazement at some point in space. Craftily she thought that this might be the perfect time to take him by surprise. Screeching in fury, she hurled herself onto him. Yowling, he scrambled away. Snowpaw landed on the ground, and, spitting in fury, she lunged for him again.

She felt a large weight barrel into her and she rolled into the ground and crouched there, waiting for the end. The other cat stared at her, and she stared back. Then it spoke.

"Hello," it said quietly. "Where am I?" Snowpaw asked quietly. She had long since figured out that she was not in the forest as she knew it. Was she dreaming?

The cat's next words crushed any hope that she may be still in the gorge, breathing, waiting for some cat to rescue her or to wake up. "You are dead." It said somberly.

**Well, how was it? Good? Bad? Terrible? Awesome? Amazing? Eye-gutting? (That's bad, bye the way lol) So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and always make sure your chicken has ketchup. **


End file.
